DHQ initiates strike operation on newly formed terrorist group, details emerge

The Nigerian Defense Headquarters has initiated a significant military operation aimed at dismantling a new terrorist group called Lukarawas, recently identified in Nigeria’s northwestern states, Sokoto and Kebbi.

Linked to ISIS in the Sahel, Lukarawas has been causing unrest and imposing levies on local communities, according to Defense Headquarters spokesperson Major General Edward Buba.

“Now that we know where they are, we are already going after them, and we will take them out,” Maj-Gen Buba affirmed on Thursday, November 7.

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The group, allegedly entering Nigeria from Niger Republic, settled along the border regions, taking advantage of challenging terrain and gaps in cross-border security cooperation.

Describing Lukarawas as ISIS-affiliated jihadists from Mali and Niger, Maj-Gen Buba noted, “This is the first time the Sahelian jihadists are making an incursion in our country.”

Initial community relations masked their intentions, only for locals to realise the threat as they began imposing levies.

The military has intensified intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations to pinpoint Lukarawas fighters, with ISR measures allowing troops to track movements and disrupt potential regrouping.

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Buba highlighted that the region’s vast, under-governed terrain poses challenges but vowed that the military will eliminate the threat.

This operation aligns with Nigeria’s broader counter-terrorism strategy, which has evolved since the insurgency led by Boko Haram.

Additionally, the Defense Headquarters has issued a wanted list of nine terrorists in the Northeast, including Abu Khadijah and Abur Rahman, as it steps up anti-terror efforts across the country.